1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to automobile deflectors and side view mirrors, and in particular, to a combined aerodynamic deflector and side view mirror unit which may be easily mounted to a window frame of an automobile door without the add-on look.
2. Description of the Related Art
Side view mirrors normally extend from the side of an automobile and, so situated, contribute to increased wind drag. Efforts have been made to reduce the drag by providing streamlined mirror housings, such as that illustrated in U.S. Pat. No. 4,538,851. However, such streamlined mirror housings do not effectively reduce the drag because they typically comprise a small streamlined block which extends from the side of the automobile and does not smoothly direct all the air flow around the side of the automobile. Such streamlined mirror housings also do not effectively deflect wind, rain and dirt, which often results in such undesirable wind, rain and dirt being introduced into the interior of the automobile.
There have also been a number of automobile deflectors in which the deflector itself is added or mounted on to an automobile door to deflect wind, rain and, sometimes, dirt. These deflectors are normally separate from the side view mirror unit and when mounted appears as an add-on item, thereby reducing their aesthetic appeal. These separate add-on deflectors often lead to bulky, complicated and sometimes unsafe arrangements extending from the side of an automobile, resulting in poor aerodynamics, increased noise, undesirable wind blasts, and wind drag, all of which impair fuel efficiency. Depending upon the configuration, unclean air and dirt particles may also be introduced into the interior of the automobile, and the deflector may not be effective in shielding the driver from the sun. The above drawbacks together contribute to reduced driving safety and comfort. Examples of such deflectors are illustrated in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,884,529 and 4,033,245.
These deflectors suffer from another drawback in that they are not easy to install and often require substantial work, including drilling, to be mounted on to the side of an automobile. The required drilling is undesirable because it requires modifying the existing structure of the automobile, which may reduce the marketability of such deflectors. These deflectors are also not easily replaceable in light of the substantial work involved in installing them.